A Rift Between Us

Chapter 12 - Keiko's Mischief

The corridors brimmed with activity. Students darted in every direction, their distant shouts echoing through the air. Alfie glanced at his timetable.

Science. I gotta focus.

He entered the lab. The tables were arranged in neat rectangles, hugging the room's layout. Alfie dropped his bag onto the table with a thud. He perched on his stool, enveloped by chaos. The room buzzed with laughter, while playful shoves sent thumps through the air. The teacher's seat was empty, buried under a desk cluttered with stationery and lab materials.

He focused on the items, his eyes glazing over as his mind wandered. The other students gradually settled down. His thoughts drifted back to the scene with Ms Camdyn moments before break. Mr Dodge's sudden entrance sent his thoughts scattering like marbles on a floor. The door flew open at breakneck speed, a yellow folder of papers tucked under his arm.

A bang resounded through the air as the door handle quivered from the impact. It sank into an existing dent in the wall, stripped of paint—evidence of countless past collisions. His breathing was laboured and heavy. Everyone, including Alfie, stared at him with puzzled expressions. The same question flickered in everyone's mind: Why was Mr Dodge here as an English teacher?

The door nearly rebounded shut from the force, its hinges groaning in protest. It inched slowly towards the strike plate, halted only by a hand. Keiko pushed it back open, sidestepped in, and closed it behind her with a click.

Oh great, her again.

Alfie hid his face behind his backpack, keeping it as low as possible. Within seconds, footsteps approached and circled his stool. A harsh metallic sound scraped against the lab's vinyl flooring. There was no escape. His bag slid away, exposing his face. It teetered on the edge of the desk. He tilted his head to the right, his chin close to the desk, revealing Keiko's mischievous grin.

"Trying to hide from me, nerd?"

His face fell as she spoke.

Oh my days, you can't be serious...

Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinised his hunched position.

"Sit properly so I can get in."

Alfie grumbled before croaking out a strangled reply.

"...sit somewhere else."

"What did you just say?"

She grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking it up and forcing him to sit straight. A yelp escaped his lips, silenced almost immediately by her other hand.

"Shut up."

It steadily lowered from his face. A student on the other side of the lab giggled, trying to stifle his laughter.

"We're in class now, nerd. You need to concentrate. Not that it matters anyway, since you ain't gonna pass when the time comes."

She stuck her tongue out mockingly as she pulled her hair through a band, creating a ponytail. The yellow folder popped open as Mr Dodge marched around the room, carelessly flinging revision papers at each student.

"Listen, I'm not a science teacher, okay? I shouldn't even be here. Just focus on your revision, keep your heads down, and don't stress me out."

His footsteps slowed to a halt. His eyes locked onto Alfie and Keiko, who both avoided his gaze as the papers crinkled and ruffled in his hands. He took a moment to study the pair of them, his warm breath puffing over their faces like a gust of wind.

"You two better not act silly in this class like you did earlier."

He chucked the final two sheets towards them before tossing the empty folder on the desk with a clap.

So first she's with me in English, now Science? I need some sort of escape route. I won't be able to deal with this.